Boaty McBoatface to go on its first Antarctic mission

A small yellow robot submarine, called Boaty McBoatface after a competition to name a new polar research ship backfired, is being sent on its first Antarctic mission.

Boaty, which has arguably one of the most famous names in recent maritime history, is a new type of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which will be able to travel under ice, reach depths of 6,000 metres, and transmit the data it collects to researchers via a radio link.

Its mission will be to investigate water flow and turbulence in the dark depths of the Orkney Passage, a 3.5km deep region of the Southern Ocean. The data it collects will help scientists understand how the ocean is responding to global warming.

The real miracle is that the dour bastards at the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) who opened a competition to name their new ship and then blasted the resultant name, have decided to use the chosen name for something at all, even if it is a sad little submarine.